Story of an Assassin: The Beginning
by Tom and Blaze Hedgehog
Summary: First fic of my new series. This one is about Sierra's first mission. See inside for more details. Rate PG-13 for some gore and violence, some language. Written by Blaze. R&R, no flames! ~COMPLETE!~
1. Part 1

Hey everyone, Blaze here. I kinda got tired with my Raider series so I decided to try something new. Something away from sl's that have to do with my guild... So, I came up with this. Story of an Assassin! It'll be a fic series that I write when I feel like it or get inspiration. If you'd like to be on the mailing list for each part ((I'm not sending the Parts out til I finish the whole fic... You'll know when it's done cause I'll start adding the parts.)) just e-mail me at TigraFlasha@aol.com, with the subject 'SOAA'. Be sure to say you want to be on the mailing list along with your e-mail address. The fics will all be in parts from Sierra's ((the main character)) point of view. The parts will be long, but there won't be many of them. They're always be around 8 parts... But not always o.o;;  
This isn't my usual style, but oh well =P If you know a lot about old medieval-time grammar you'll see that it isn't... I'm sure some of the grammar is wrong for this fic, not necessarily sentences, but some words they may or may not have used back then... Oh well =P I try.  
Enjoy, and please, review! No flames though ;.; I know how sucky it is already.  
  
Story of An Assassin  
The Beginning  
By Blaze "Britt" Hedgehog  
  
Part 1  
  
My name is Sierra Katanna. I hope that I can trust you so you do not speak my name to anyone you know. Even if you speak my first name to someone, I am at the risk of being hunted down and killed as soon as possible.  
I know what you are thinking: That I am some criminal constantly on the move, since I am wanted in many places.  
Well, part of that is true. I am wanted in some places. My occupation, you ask? I am an assassin. A female assassin. Better yet, the best assassin that works for my boss. My boss? His name is Luniare. He is a wolf. He is too lazy to get off his rear and do the killing himself.  
You probably do not know me, for assassins do not show their face in public too often. We are always in disguise; never show our face the same way twice. It is too risky. We are skilled in fighting, disguise, and camouflage. Most of all, killing without leaving any evidence that shows we were there.  
We carry a small pack on our backs that carries what we need. Which is not very much, just some clothes for disguise, various items to cover up our face, maybe a few weapons. We mostly use daggers to fight, since they are small. Swords are too big. We travel light. We have light shoes, which are cloth with a soft padding below our feet so we do not make any sound when we are sneaking through the forest. And probably the most important item of ours: Gloves. Gloves stop you from leaving fingerprints. A must have for an assassin.  
How did I become an assassin? Well, this is my story.  
  
I had my dagger drawn; I was crouched slightly, my cloak hitting the ground. I faced four muscular echidna guards. They had chased me for stealing a bow-and-arrow from a shop in the town. You see, before I was an assassin, I was poor. I could not afford anything. I lived in a pretty much empty hollowed-out tree in the forest. I still live in that tree, but it is full of furniture and other things now.  
Anyways, back to the guards. They leapt at me. I threw myself on the ground, as one soared over me. I slashed the guard's neck, him crumpling to the ground behind my head. I sat up, ducking another guard that flew over my head. I jumped to my feet, still crouching. I rolled to the right as one slashed at me with his sword. I slammed my black handled six-inch dagger into his stomach, right below where his chest armor stopped and his leg armor began. Blood trickled from his mouth. I yanked my dagger out, jumping up and facing the final two guards.  
I stood ready.  
The one on my left ran forward, slashing at my neck with his sword. I moved my head back, slashing back. I slashed him across his eye. He roared in pain, blood instantly flowing from his eye, along with some white substance. He stumbled back, clutching his eye with his left hand. The guard looked at the other one, growled, and jumped at me. I did not see him coming. He slashed at my face. I yelped slightly as the blade slashed my left eyebrow. Blood starting trickling into my eye.  
I heard a roar and saw something flying toward me. Instinctively I ducked, and the dark blue figure landed in front of me, slashing the guard like wild. The guard fell before his feet. The figure had dreadlocks, so I could tell it was an echidna. It ran to the last guard whose eye I had slashed, slicing his neck. It turned around and looked at me, walking over.  
"What did you do that for?! I had him covered!" I yelled at the echidna, which was male. He was dark blue, had gray eyes, and wore a black outfit. A black cloak with that had a gold skull holding the front together below his neck, a long sleeved black tunic with a gray strap tied around his waist, black trousers and black shoes that were made from cloth. I studied the skull clip. Anyone who wears that is an assassin. I looked up to him. "What is your business with me?! I have done nothing wrong!"  
"Do not worry, madam. I am not here to eliminate you. And for killing the guard, I did that to help you. Your life should not be wasted." The echidna said.  
"Why not? I have nothing to live for. I am poor; I have no friends in life." I said.  
"Nor do I. Friends are not needed. At least not for me," the echidna said. "My name is Exodis. I am an assassin: The best that my boss has. I have seen you fight many times. Have you ever been interested in the assassin business?"  
"No, but I do need a job. I have no gold pieces," I said to him. "My name is Sierra Katanna."  
"If you will follow me so kindly…" Exodis said, walking past me.  
I sighed. I turned to him, and then thought for a moment. I do need the money and I would have something to do. Why not? So I followed him. He brought me through town and down an alleyway. Exodis looked around for anyone, and then walked into a door. It blended in so well, I could not see it until he opened it. I followed him inside. It was pitch black inside. He turned down a hallway I did not see. I followed close behind him so I would not bump into any walls. It gradually got lighter as he walked further. You could hear only the clicking of my shoes on the stone ground. His shoes were silent.  
He stopped at a dead-end, which had a door. Two male hedgehogs that wore armor guarded it. We stopped in front of them.  
"State your name and business!" The guard on the right roared.  
"My name is Exodis Cammella and I am here to see Luniare, for I have a possible employee." Exodis said, straightening up and holding his head high. Getting the idea, I did the same.  
"Stay here," the guard on the left said. He entered the door and came back five minutes later. "Follow me."  
Exodis went first. I followed behind him. We entered the door, walking down a hallway. We walked down more hallways and entered many doors. Finally, we stopped in one room. The guard walked out and shut the door behind us. It was quite a large room, with shields and swords hanging on the walls. There was one table that was on the opposite side of the room with a chair behind it. In the chair sat a muscular wolf with red eyes. He wore a black short-sleeved tunic with a black strap tied around his waist and wore black trousers. He did not wear shoes.  
"Ah, Exodis, welcome…" The wolf said, smiling. I presumed it was Luniare. His eyes snapped to me. "Who is this?! Who did you bring in here?!"  
"Her name is Sierra Katanna. I have seen her fight many times. She is very skilled. Excellent assassin material." Exodis said to Luniare.  
Luniare stood up and walked to me. He studied me for a moment, and brought up his right hand, wiping some of the blood on his finger from my left eye. "You are bleeding."  
"Yes, I was in a fight just before I got here."  
"Why so?"  
"I… I stole a bow-and-arrow from a shop in town. I have no money, I must steal." It hit me when I spoke of the bow-and-arrow. It was still back at the battle scene!  
"Well, Sierra Katanna, how would you like to have money? How would you like to have whatever you want?" Luniare said, putting his hands behind his back.  
"I would like that very much. What must I do?"  
"You must become an assassin. Find and destroy whomever I tell you without leaving a trace that you were there. Tell me, do you like fighting? Are you skilled with weapons?" He began to pace back and forth.  
"Oh, yes. Yes to both questions."  
"Then you are perfect material for an assassin then." Luniare paused, looking at me. "Can I trust you to keep this business safe? Will you not speak one word of us assassins, even your name?"  
I shook my head. "No. I do not speak my own name unless I feel it is safe. I would get thrown in the dungeons from the things I have stolen."  
Luniare smiled, his sharp teeth showing. "You are perfect. There are rules, however…" He walked back to his table, looking at some scrolls that were resting on it. "You must disguise yourself differently every time you go into town. After you eliminate many people, and your face is seen, you will be wanted. If your name is said, you will be hunted down. Will you take these risks?"  
"Of course."  
"Come over here." Luniare said.  
I did so. He pulled out his dagger. I expected him to slash me. Instead, he held it in his left hand, turning over his right so the bottom of his wrist pointed up to the ceiling. I could see a long scar on it. He put the point to it, tracing the scar down, blood appearing where he "drew" with the blade. I looked at his face. He did not even wince.  
"Do the same to your right wrist." He instructed me.  
I looked at Exodis. He nodded. I reluctantly moved the left side of my cloak and grabbed the dagger's hilt with my right hand. I switched hands, and pulled back the sleeve of my tunic, revealing the bottom of my right wrist. I put the point to my wrist, but stopped when Luniare spoke up.  
"Do not cut very deep. Only enough so that you will have a scar." He was still holding his wrist out, clenching his hand so that blood would be pushed from the cut.  
I nodded slightly and began to pull the blade back. A trail of blood appeared where I had cut myself. After it was about six inches long, I stopped, wincing slightly. Luniare held out a piece of cloth to me. "For your dagger... Always keep your dagger clean."  
I nodded slightly; wiping both sides of my dagger clean on the cloth, which Luniare was holding in his hand. He had done the same to his blade.  
"Put your cut to mine." Luniare said, leaning over the table and moving his arm up, so the cut pointed at me.  
Luniare was much taller than me, so I had to stand on the tips of my feet so that my cut touched his. "Repeat after me... I, Sierra Katanna..." Luniare began. I said each line after he completed the sentence. "Do solemnly swear to never let a word of us assassins pass my lips. I will be loyal to all my fellow assassins, and help them when they are in need. I will never betray them, speak wrong of them, or leave them to die. I will do my best to complete each mission. If a word of these assassins does come out of my lips, I will be killed. I share the blood of Luniare Bikari, for I will be loyal to him and his people always. I am an assassin."  
Once I finished, he withdrew his wrist from mine. I put my right arm at my side and put my dagger away. Luniare smiled at me.  
"Welcome to this team." Luniare said, smirking slightly. He picked up a golden skull on his table. "For you. A symbol that you are an assassin. You only wear this on your cloak if you are not around anyone." Luniare held it out to me. I took it, taking off the clip that held my cloak and replaced it with the gold skull.  
Luniare reached under the table and pulled up a bag, placing it on the table in front of me. On it was written '1,000 GP.' "This is for any weapons or equipment you may need to buy for your missions. Exodis will help you with buying them. I would get to know him… For I have a quest for him… And you are going with him…" I took the bag in my hand.  
Exodis looked shocked. "What? I thought you said we go alone!"  
"Yes, you do. But not for your first mission. You are my best assassin, surely you will not be caught…"  
Exodis sighed. "Fine. What is my… Our… Mission?"  
"Do you know of the city of Packor?" Luniare asked, placing his hands on the table and leaning his weight on it.  
"Yes. It is miles south of here." I spoke up.  
Luniare smiled. "Very good! As you probably know, they have a royal family of four. A king, a queen, a prince, and a princess… I want you to eliminate them. If you do it in less than two days, the rewards will be greater, and it will be easier. It gives them less time to secure the area."  
I looked dumbfounded. Four people? In less than two days?!  
"Very well." Exodis said. "How much do we get paid?"  
"Thirty-thousand gold pieces each."  
I was shocked. Thirty thousand gold pieces was more than I have ever owned in my whole life!  
"Too low," Exodis said.  
I looked at him. You expect more? I said to myself.  
"Very well. Forty thousand each. Ten thousand for each person."  
"It is a deal. We will have them eliminated by Friday." Exodis said.  
"Re-cut your scar," Luniare said to Exodis.  
He nodded and pulled back his sleeve, tracing the scar he also had. He put his wrist to mine. "I, Exodis Cammella..." Exodis repeated, "and I, Sierra Katanna..." I repeated after Luniare. "Both swear that I will not betray my partner on this mission. That we will get along, even if we do not like each other, and try not to be noticed. We will complete our mission as soon as possible, leaving no traces that we were there. We share each other's blood, for we will not betray each other or leave one another behind. We are partners, for the time being." We repeated everything after our names at the same time.  
"You are both dismissed." Luniare said, once we finished the last line. Exodis turned on his heal and walked away. I followed behind him. We both put our sleeves down.  
"Forty thousand gold pieces?! Two days?!" I whispered loudly to him. The guard was standing out the door. He led us back to where we came from.  
"Yes. Assassins work quickly. Forty-eight hours is more than enough. Night gives us time to eliminate, also, do not forget. And forty thousand gold pieces will be nothing for you in a few months. But now, we must buy equipment for you. We head out tomorrow morning at sunrise!" 


	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
We came out the door we had entered in, staying in the dark alley.  
"Do you have a hooded cloak with you by any chance?" Exodis asked, whispering.  
"No, but I have one back home," I replied.  
"Do not bother going to get it. There is not enough time. The town will soon be closing. Borrow mine," Exodis said, taking off a pack he wore on his back and opening it, soon taking out two hooded cloaks and handing me one. "Take off your other one. I will put it in my pack."  
I did so, handing it to him. I put the black hooded cloak he handed me on, grabbing the hood and putting it over my head so a shadow was cast on my face. I also buttoned it up, so they would not be able to see my clothes. Only my shins and below could be seen.  
"We need to buy some gloves, disguises, and paint. Do you know how to sew?" Exodis asked. I nodded. It was not wise to not know how to sew; you never know when something may break on you. "Okay. We will pick up some needles, thread and brown cloth for you also. I will pick up dark green cloth and padding so I can make you shoes like mine. They are silent and excellent for stalking."  
"What is the paint for?"  
"To cover up your soon to be scar on your left eyebrow... We need to buy paint that matches your fur color."  
I nodded. We headed down the alleyway and into town. I still had the bag of one thousand gold pieces in my hand. Sun set was about three hours from now, and that was the time when the town shops closed. We needed to get our supplies quickly.  
People scurried around town, buying different things from various wooden carts that held different items. Some sold fruit, weapons, sewing items, and many more things.  
Our first stop was in an alleyway that had clothes on wooden boxes, some hanging on strings that were hanging from the sides of the buildings. A female fox sat in a wooden chair. She wore an old beat up dress and a bonnet. She was sewing something. She looked up and smiled when she saw us.  
"Welcome. What may I do for you?" The female fox asked, setting her work down on a table next to her, standing up and walking to us.  
"We are looking for a pair of gloves for this young lady beside me, preferably dark green." Exodis said, disguising his voice so that it was deep. He asked for dark green, seeing I was fond of the color, since all my clothes are of that color.  
"I am sorry sir, but we do not have any dark green gloves. We do have black, blue, and red, though." The female fox replied.  
"Very well. May we see the black?"  
"Certainly, sir."  
She walked back to her table, picking up a pair of black gloves that flared out in a circle around the wrists. "Here they are." She handed them to me.  
I tried them on. Perfect fit. They were not too tight so I would not be able to move my hands well, and they were not loose so they would not fall off me.  
"They are perfect. How much are they?" I asked the fox.  
"One hundred gold pieces. They are made from leather, that is why the cost is so high." The female fox said.  
"Very good. We will take them." Exodis said, since he was apparently good at haggling.  
The fox smiled. I took off the gloves and handed them to Exodis, who put them in his pack. I set the bag of gold pieces down on a nearby wooden box and counted out one hundred, and handed them to the fox.  
"Thank you very much," the female fox said, slipping the money into a pouch that hung from the side of her dress. "Is there anything else I may get you?"  
"Yes. We are looking for a rather elegant dress..." Exodis said.  
I hate dresses. But, if I must, I will wear one.  
The female fox smiled. "Oh, yes sir. We carry many dresses. How about a red one?"  
"May we see it?" I spoke up.  
"Certainly."  
The female fox turned around, walking to a wooden box that had clothes folded and piled on top of it. She picked out the red one from the pile, sliding it our carefully so it would not cause the other clothes to fall. She opened it up. The shoulders were puffy, it had a golden lace trim, golden buttons along the back, and it flared out at the bottom. It looked like something a princess would wear.  
"It is perfect." Exodis said.  
The female fox walked over and held it up to me. "Ah, you are lucky! It looks like it would fit her, it may be a bit large, however."  
That was a good thing. I hated being in tight clothes.  
"And, we have a special. If you buy one of my dresses, you get a handsome tunic along with it..." The fox said, turning around and walking to a wooden box that was beside the one with the dresses on it. She picked up the one on the top. It was royal blue with a red cloak attached to the back. The cloak was attached to the shoulders by buttons, and the tunic was short sleeved. It had a golden strap where the waist will be, and it was long. She also held a pair of short royal blue trousers on it. I assumed the tunic was long enough so you could not see the trousers when you put them on. She also held up a pair of the same color shoes, like the type Exodis already wore. "Five hundred gold pieces for both of them."  
"Very well. We will take them both." Exodis said, and then whispered to me, "I will split the cost with you."  
I nodded, taking two hundred and fifty gold pieces from the bag and handing them to Exodis. He took the same amount of money from a bag he had in his pack, and gave all the gold pieces to the fox. She had folded both outfits and handed them to me. They were too big to fit in Exodis' pack. She put the money away.  
"And the last thing we need is a dark green pack for her," Exodis said.  
The female fox nodded and picked up one up from a wooden box that was next to her. "Two hundred and fifty gold pieces."  
"Hmm... Seems a little high... How about one-hundred and seventy-five?" Exodis said.  
"How about two hundred? My final offer." She replied.  
"Very well." I dug out two hundred gold pieces and handed them to the fox. I took the pack and put my dress in it, handing Exodis' tunic to him. He gave me my gloves and I put them away, along with the bag of gold pieces. I had four hundred and fifty left. I put the pack on over Exodis' cloak.  
"That is it. Thank you kindly," Exodis said, bowing slightly. I curtsied slightly, also. The female fox and did the same.  
"Good day to you! Farewell!" She called after us as we walked back from her alleyway.  
The next place Exodis and I went to was a small wooden cart that had many different colors of thread and cloth. Exodis told me to buy brown cloth for me, along with brown thread. He said it would help me blend in with the trees when I wore my normal outfit. I also bought a pack of ten needles. The female hedgehog gave me all of the items for one hundred and fifty gold pieces.  
Exodis bought dark green cloth with dark green thread, along with a special padding for making shoes. He said he would give me the excess cloth and thread, since it was my color. I thanked him.  
We made a few stops after that. One cart to pick up dark purple paint, which matched my fur, one cart for twenty feet of rope, and one cart for a sleeping mat. I only had twenty-five gold pieces left after we bought the final three items. I kept them all in my pack. Exodis said that my pack usually wouldn't be as crowded, since I usually would not have to carry a rather large dress in it.  
About a half an hour later, the town began to close up. Exodis and I bought some fruit to eat for our journey back home. I had just spent one thousand gold pieces in three hours!  
When we were walking back to my forest, I took off Exodis' hooded cloak and handed it to him. He gave me my cloak back. He told me I would have to wear the hooded cloak instead of my normal one.  
I had to ask Exodis a question. "Why is Luniare attacking the city of Packor? It is such a peaceful city, I cannot believe that he would want to attack it."  
"Peaceful is the reason why he is attacking it. Luniare has been looking for city to conquer for a long time. He has told me that he will not say he is an assassin owner, just a person wanting to rule a city. Of course, it will not be a strict city... He is just looking for a place where he can be more important..."  
"I see."  
Exodis stopped at the west entrance of the forest I lived here. "Meet me here at sunrise. Do not be late. Wear your hooded cloak. Bring everything you have in your pack. Bring your bow-and-arrow!" He began to shout the final words because he began to walk the opposite way.  
"I will!" I called back. I turned and ran into my forest, hoping my bow-and-arrow was still there. 


	3. Part 3

Part 3  
  
I was scurrying around frantically, trying to get everything together. My pack that contained twenty feet of rope curled up in a circle, an elegant dress, a sleeping mat, cloth, thread, and needles. I had switched off my regular cloak with my hooded one, taking off the gold skull and replacing the clip with it. After I had placed the pack on my back, I grabbed my new bow-and-arrow, which had one strap that held both the case for the arrows and the bow. It was brown, went above my waist, with two straps going diagonally across my chest. I had also put on my new black gloves, the flared ends covering up the bottom of my sleeves of my tunic.  
I looked out the window. The sun was beginning to rise. I quickly grabbed an apple and trotted down the winding stairs, exiting my tree house and running through the forest. I know the forest well. I know every shortcut; I know every tree, every rock, and every blade of grass. I was running to the west side of the forest. I ate along the way.  
Finally, Exodis came into view. The sun was almost finished setting. I stopped by his side.  
"Sorry I am late," I said.  
"You are not late. I said sunrise. The sun has almost fully risen," Exodis said. He was watching it rise. The dark blue sky was fading to orange where the sun was coming up. "I finished your shoes." He held a pair of dark green shoes that looked like his out to me. I took them, quickly replacing my normal shoes with them, and putting them in my pack. "Let us go."  
He walked quickly in front of him, following a trail where carriages would come through. I followed by his side. We were heading to another forest we could see in the distance. I then noticed that Exodis had a bow-and-arrow with him also.  
"Is not a dagger all we need? I thought you said we travel light." I said.  
"Yes, I did. A bow-and-arrow is light. But we do not use them for every mission. We need guard outfits. We will hide in the trees and shoot two guards down and take their outfits. This trail leads to Packor." Exodis explained. "Oh, and I have some things for you." He reached in a pocket of his tunic and took out two vials, handing them to me. "The red liquid is poison. That is how I am planning to kill the king. We work our way down from most important to least important. First is King Kedalow, then we kill Prince Tennan, then Queen Sikarey, then Princess Mylarra."  
"But why do we need the guard outfits? Is that not why we bought the royal outfits? To get into the palace?" I asked him.  
"No. We bought the outfits to get into the dining room. But I will leave the poisoning to you. Dress as a maid, go into the kitchen, and pour the poison on the King's food and in his drink. I will be disguised as a guard and will be guarding the door. After you have poured the poison on his food, switch into your dress and sit down at the table. Once the king dies, run out the door in a panic." Exodis said.  
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. "But how are we to kill the others?"  
"I will come up with those ideas later. After you escape the dining room, run back into this forest. We will stay in that forest overnight, after we make our kill. I will meet you in the forest about a half an hour later."  
"Okay. What is the other vial for?" I said, holding up the small plastic bottle that contained some weird dark-colored paste.  
"If you ever get injured horribly, take out some of that mixture and cover your wound with it. It will help seal it up." He told me the names of the berries and herbs he used to create it. "You should keep some handy."  
I nodded, slipping the two vials into a pocket in my tunic.  
  
We were half way through the forest. We were no longer walking along the path, but on the sides of it. It sloped downward, so my feet slipped many times, which risked me tumbling down the hill. We did not walk on the edge, for we did not want to be seen. We kept our ears and eyes open, waiting for anyone to come through. The sky was gray. It was going to rain. I did not mind rain. It was quite refreshing.  
Somewhere around noon we heard some hooves clapping on the dirt ground, along with the murmur of voices. Exodis put his index fingers to his lips, silencing me. He pointed to a tree. I got the idea and pulled out the rope from my pack, making a small loop at the end and tossing it up to the nearest branch, which was about ten feet from the trunk's base. It caught itself around the end of the branch. I tugged it to the side so it was not on the edge. If it was, the branch would snap under my weight. I quickly climbed up the rope, jumping onto the branch, taking the rope off the branch and twirling it in a circle, putting it in my pack.  
I climbed up higher. There were more and more branches, as I got higher. Once I figured I was well hidden, I crouched down, took off my bow, grabbing an arrow and setting it in. I put the hood of my cloak up, just incase they spotted us. I pulled the string of my bow back, putting my fingers around the back of the arrow. I aimed the point at the guard on the right's neck, the one that was closest to me. I glanced at Exodis. He was aiming at the left. He did not have his hood up. Still, I did not take mine down.  
The guards were riding horses, slowly walking down the trail. They were many feet away from us. We waited silently. Once they got close enough, I let go of the arrow the arrow flung out from my grasp and hit the guard square in the neck. I let out a silent cheer. The guard on the left yelled out something as the guard I hit fell off his horse. Exodis shot his arrow. It hit the guard in his face.  
I flung back my hood, putting my bow back on my back. I looked to Exodis, who was staring at the branch above me.  
"Nice shot... ASSASSIN!" Someone yelled. I looked up and gasped. A muscular hedgehog in a tunic was holding a sword up, ready to strike me.  
I yelped slightly, grabbing my sword from its holster attached to the strap of my tunic. I held it up, but the sword was three times as long as my dagger.  
The hedgehog swung. I jumped backward, landing on the branch behind me. With my new shoes, it felt like I was barefoot. My feet molded the curve of the branch, giving me a better stance. The male hedgehog growled, leaping down to the branch that I was on. His metal shoes clanked on the wood. Thunder grumbled and it started to rain down.  
I looked to Exodis. The jump was too far away from his tree for him to help me. It was raining too hard for him to get a clear shot and there were too many branches in his way. I looked back to the hedgehog, swinging at his face with my blade. He moved his head back, slashing his sword at my stomach. I moved back also. A matter of fact, I moved back too far. My feet slipped from the branch. I swung my arms around wildly, trying to catch my balance. I glimpsed down on at the ground to see how far I would fall. It was at least twenty feet high. I would surely break my leg if I fell.  
I lost my balance. I fell backwards, frantically moving my arms around to get a grip on something. Yes! I had grabbed the last branch possible with my left hand. But the force of my fall and the sudden weight put on my left arm strained it. Pain jumped through my body. I quickly swung my right arm and held onto the branch with it also, moving my dagger so it would not dig into the branch.  
My body swung back and forth slightly. The male hedgehog jumped down on the same branch I was hanging from. The branch jiggled slightly from the sudden weight put on it. The hedgehog walked over to where my hands were and placed his feet in between them.  
"So, you think you could kill us all that easily, assassin?! Well, you thought wrong!" The hedgehog yelled over the thunder. He lifted up his foot and slammed it down on my right hand. I roared in pain. My fingers were squished beneath metal and wood. I quickly yanked my hand out from under his metal shoe and shook it, trying to get rid of the pain. My dagger dropped to the ground. All of a sudden, something flew right by my ear.  
I looked to Exodis. He had just shot an arrow. "Hey! Watch it!"  
Exodis took another arrow and aimed.  
"You see, people like you deserve to die…" The hedgehog growled, lifting up his foot again and aiming for my left hand. My right arm was still at my side. I prayed that Exodis would hurry up and shoot him.  
"Maybe so, but your time will come first!" I shouted at the hedgehog. Just then, something made his head jerk forward. An arrow bounced off his helmet. I expected that to happen, the back of his helmet covered his neck from behind.  
The hedgehog turned his head around. "Come out and show your face you…" Before he could finish, an arrow hit him square in the face. He fell backwards, his limp body hitting my back, my body swinging even more. I watched his body hit the ground and roll down the hill, which was now muddy.  
I put my right hand on the branch and pulled myself up slowly. I put my feet on the branch and stood up. "Thank you."  
"I am just doing my job." Exodis said, putting his bow-and-arrow on his back. He began to climb down the tree. I did the same.  
Once I got down, I walked over to my dagger and picked it up. I put it in its holster and walked over to the two dead guards. Exodis and I took off our cloaks and placed them in our packs, putting them back on. We took off the guards' armor and put them on over our outfits. The chest armor was a tight fit since it was too small for me and my pack was squished under it. The helmet was slightly big for me though, but that was good, so it would hide the details of my face. Exodis and I continued our journey down the trail.  
  
The rain stopped a few miles later. We began to see some of the many buildings of Packor, so we decided to find a place where we can sleep at night. Exodis and I headed into the right part of the forest that surrounded the trail. A few minutes later we found a small cave. We took off our chest armor and took off our packs, taking out our sleeping mats and placing them in the cave, along with our bow-and-arrows and sewing supplies. Everything else we kept in our packs, placing the armor back over them. We headed back to the trail and to Packor. Sunset was about three hours away. We assumed supper would take place around that time.  
We came to the entrance of Packor. It had two guards in front of the gates. They saw our armor, along with a glimpse of our clothes under it. They looked at each other, and then opened the gates. Packor was a lot larger than our hometown of Sharrakor. There were many stone buildings towering over us, along with huts and other buildings. We walked down the trail and entered the main part of the town. People walked around, getting water from the well, buying things from carts, and talking to people.  
Exodis gestured to the tallest building, which was the palace. It had four towers going up from the main part. Four guards guarded two large wooden doors. There were many balconies coming out from doors near the top of the palace, which there were also guards there protecting. We made our way over to the palace.  
Once we got to the entrance, we walked up the stairs and stood in front of the four guards.  
"What is your business here?" One of the guards asked us. He did not look at us, simply stood there, staring out in front of him.  
"It is time for our duty." Exodis said, making his voice deep again.  
"In what section?" The guard asked.  
"The dining room." Exodis replied. "He is to guard the maid quarters." Exodis was referring to me.  
"Then you must hurry, your shift begins in fifteen minutes." The guard said to Exodis. The doors slowly opened, making a slight creaking noise.  
Inside it was a smooth marble floor with tall stone walls, which had many paintings hanging from them. Torches lit up the area. There were many hallways, and they were all empty except for a few maids running around.  
"You go down the stairs. That is where the maid quarters always are. The dining room must be upstairs. If you get lost, ask a guard for directions." 


	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
I trotted down the stairs. Exodis was going up them. I was heading to the maid quarters. The stairs stopped at the last floor, and I walked down the hallway. Maids scurried around frantically, some curtsying to me quickly. I waited until most of them went up the stairs or into a room, then I quickly ran into a room that was nearest to me. They were all maid rooms, where they lived and where they got ready.  
I looked for anyone who may be near. "Hello?" I called, my voice echoing throughout the room. It was not very big; I was just making sure nobody was sleeping. There were four cots, one small restroom, and one closet. I walked over to the closet and opened it. Just what I was expecting: Maid outfits.  
I picked out one I assumed was my size, taking off the armor that covered my regular clothes and placing it in the corner of the closet. The armor was hidden in the shadows. I ran into the restroom and changed into the maid outfit. It was light blue with a white apron sewn onto the front. I took the poison vile and wound vile from my tunic and placed them in pouches in the maid outfit. I stuffed my clothes in my pack and grabbed it, putting the straps under my fingers and wrapping my arms around it, concealing it the best I could. I had also hid my dagger inside the two pouches, which were connected on the inside. The dagger was in its holster so it would not poke me through the outfit.  
I quietly walked out of the room, going to the door and opening it, looking around before I fully came out of the door. No one was around. I quickly ran up the stairs, continuing to go up the stairs. I passed many levels, but kept going up until I came to a level that people in royal outfits stood around in. I hung my head and walked into the hallway.  
The royal people eyed me. They looked upon me as if I was dirt. I continued to walk down the hallway, looking at the guards at the doors, waiting to see Exodis. It was not a long before I saw his face staring straight out. His eyes moved to look at me. He acknowledged me and continued looking out in front of him.  
I entered the door. Maids scurried around busily, preparing the food, washing the dishes, cooking the food.  
I walked over to a table where all the plates were set. Some of them had a small sign that said, 'Reserved for...' and followed by their name. I finally found the King's plate. I looked around to see if any maids were watching. They were all busy with their work. I hunched over my pack, taking out my gloves and putting them on, just incase. I then dug in the pouches of my apron, locating the plastic bottle with my fingers and taking it out. The red liquid swished around in the small vile. I opened the cap, carefully pouring half of it onto his food, and half of it into his drink, which was red wine. The red on his food looked like a sauce. Once it was empty, I put the cap back on and put it back in the pouch.  
I rushed out the kitchen door, making sure it was the same one I entered through, since the kitchen was connected to the dining room. I quickly walked down the hallway, practically running down the stairs to the maid quarters. I burst in the same door I was in before, checking if anyone was in it again, running into the restroom and quickly changing into my red dress. I hid the two vials and my dagger in the large pockets. I ran out the bathroom, going to the closet, putting the maid outfit back and throwing my pack next to my armor.  
I quickly walked back up the stairs, not being able to run because the dress was so fluffy at the bottom. I did not have high-heeled shoes, so luckily the dress was long enough so it covered my feet. Once I got back to the dining hallway, I waited by myself until they called us to the dining room.  
Trumpets blared loudly near the two tall golden doors. The crowd silenced. One male fox spoke up.  
"Supper is ready. If you would all please enter these two doors..." He said, taking a step back, along with the trumpeters, for everyone to go into the doors. Two male echidnas were holding them open. Exodis was one of them. He had switched doors. I entered after everybody else, taking the last seat available. Like everyone else, I stood up, waiting for the royal family to enter.  
The trumpeters and fox came in the doors. They shut behind them. The two trumpeters stood at each side of the door, waiting for the signal. The fox nodded slightly. The trumpets blared.  
"My lords, my ladies, your King and Queen!" He said. The golden doors opened slowly.  
The King walked in, holding the Queen's hand. His head was held high. He was a fox, along with the rest of his family. He wore a golden tunic with a silver cape attached to it, which dragged on the floor. The tunic was long so you could not see his trousers. He wore golden shoes that looked like sandals. On his head there was a golden crown with points on the top, each point had a different colored gem on it. The Queen wore a white dress that dragged on the ground behind her. Sequins were all over it. She also wore a diamond tiara. They were both elderly.  
The Princess and Prince walked in behind them. They were brother and sister, so they did not hold hands. The Prince wore a white tunic with a golden strap around the waist. He had a silver cape on and a silver crown with points too, but it did not have any gems on it. The Princess wore a gold dress that did not drag on the ground. It ended at her ankles, and she wore clear high-heeled shoes. She wore a crystal tiara that was not as fancy as the Queen's.  
Everyone watched them as they entered. Each one of them had a smile upon their face. The King sat at the end of the table, the opposite end from me. The King sat in a large oak chair, the Queen in a smaller oak chair, and the Princess and Prince sat in the same size chair, which was a bit smaller than the Queen's.  
Once the royal family sat down, everyone else sat down. The maids came in and served us our food. We could not eat until the King took the first bite. But the King had to make a toast.  
He took his glass of wine and held it up. "I would like to make a toast..." Everyone also picked up his or her glass, including me. "To my wife, dear Sikarey, I love you with all of my heart. To my son, who I know will be a great leader. And to my daughter, who has a great life ahead of her. And to all of you, may you all live a healthy and wonderful life." He held his glass to the person he was speaking about. After he finished, he lifted the glass to his lips and drank. We did the same.  
And he did not even know that was the last drink he would be drinking.  
The king picked up his fork and began to eat. Everyone else did also. I watched the King out of the corner of my eye as he ate. A minute later, a loud clang was heard. He had dropped his fork. His mouth was open, his eyes were staring out in front of him. He began to choke.  
"Kedalow? Kedalow?" Sikarey asked, placing her left hand on his, shaking it slightly. "Are you all right?"  
"Father?" Prince Tennan and Princess Mylarra said.  
"Someone help! He is choking!" Sikarey shouted, standing up.  
Everyone began to murmur. One of the guards entered the room. It was not Exodis. He saw Kedalow choking. He ran over to him.  
Kedalow dropped from his chair on the ground. He gasped for air. I put a horrified look on my face as I watched him. Inside, I was laughing. I watched as he took his last breath. I then ran out the door, looking as panicked as I possibly could.  
Exodis looked at me. I nodded. He got the hint. I picked up the bottom of my dress so I could run. I ran down the stairs and into the maid quarters, running into the room. I grabbed the armor and my pack from the closet, running to the restroom, quickly changing into my tunic and putting the armor over it. My pack was on under it. My dagger was in its holster attached to the strap around my tunic underneath the armor. The wound vile was in the pocket of my tunic.  
I ran out again, running up the stairs, and going out of the palace. The two guards were gone. They had probably been called into the castle. The people in the village were looking at the castle, talking to others. Apparently some had heard some word of Kedalow's death.  
I ran down the stairs. The people instantly mobbed me.  
"What is going on?! What happened?! Is Kedalow really dead?!" The people screamed at me.  
"Kedalow is dead!" I yelled, disguising my voice as masculine as it could get. "We think he was poisoned! Please! Get out of my way!"  
The people parted slightly. I pushed my way through the crowd. I ran out of the city and into the forest Exodis and I were staying in. Once I was in the cave, I took off the armor and threw it in the back of the cave. I was sweating from doing so much running and having the armor on. I took off my mat and set it against the cave wall and sat against it, next to my backpack.  
  
Exodis came back at sunset.  
"You did well," he said, taking off his armor and putting it in the back of the cave also. "They do not know who did it. They are accusing the maid who made the King's food of poisoning him."  
"Good." I said simply. "What took you so long?"  
"I had to stay for another forty five minutes after you ran out of the room. They made me guard the dining room door to make sure no one leaves or enters... It took me about ten minutes to get through the crowd after my duty was finished..." Exodis sighed.  
"At least you did not make yourself look suspicious." I said.  
"You too..."  
I gave him a 'what did you expect' look.  
"So, how are we going to kill the prince?" I asked.  
"Slit his neck." Exodis said, sitting against the other side of the cave's wall.  
I blinked at him. "But will not someone see you do it?"  
"I am not going to do it. You are." He said. "I will kill the Queen and you will help me kill the Princess. The Queen will be hard because I will do it tomorrow. It will be hard to get to her. I am sure we will find an easy way to kill the Queen since there will be two of us. It will be even. The King was easy, and killing the Prince will be easy too. Besides, you need practice.  
"I was thinking of having you sneak into the Prince's room and hiding under his bed until he falls asleep. You come in by the window. You put your hand over his mouth so he cannot scream, and slit his neck. Escape back through the window. No one should know you were even there." Exodis explained.  
"Sounds good." I said.  
"His room is on the third floor, left side of the palace. The fifth balcony from facing the entrance is his. Enter through the window to the right of it." Exodis said.  
"How did you find this out?" I asked.  
"When I was leaving my duty I explored the castle. I asked a guard where it was. I told him I was new and my duty was starting soon. He showed me. I went in his room, went to his balcony, looked around, and figured it out. It was simple enough," Exodis said.  
"It does not sound like it," I said. "When do I leave?"  
"An hour from now." 


	5. Part 5

Part 5  
  
I tried to be as quiet as possible sneaking through the forest, for I was wearing armor and the metal was clanking against the ground. The guards had let me in the city, and I was sneaking along the left side of the city, next to the left wall. An extremely tall stone wall surrounds the whole city of Packor. Only guards were out now. They were patrolling the city. No one else was out. It was about a half an hour past sunset.  
Once I got far enough away, I quietly took off my armor and hid it in a bush. I was wearing my normal clothes: My dark green tunic, darker green cloak with the gold skull on it and hood, my dark green trousers, darker green shoes, and dark green pack. My cloak hung over the sides of my body, and it was so dark I blended in with the shadows. Bushes that surrounded the city were on my right side; the wall was on my left. The guards patrolled the town, and they were many feet away. I would be safe.  
I crouched down low, my outfit blending in with the bushes. The palace was on the opposite side of the entrance. I still had some ways to go.  
A few minutes later, I was facing the left side of the palace. It was still many feet away from me. I was no longer next to the wall, but hidden in some bushes. There was an empty field of grass ahead of me, then the left side of the palace. It was stone, so it would be hard to climb up. But I had rope, so it would not be as hard.  
I looked to the third row of balconies from the ground. I counted from the right to the left, looking at the fifth one, that was the princes'. I looked around to see if there were any guards looking. They were all facing the entrance, the only possible entry besides the windows. The windows were barred. I would have to squeeze myself through one of the squares. I took out my coiled twenty-foot long rope.  
I ran across the field as fast as I could, crouching low. I unraveled the rope, making a loop at the end. I aimed at a sphere that was attached to the corner that was closest to me on the railing. I threw it up. I missed. I aimed again and threw. It caught hold. I tugged on the rope and the loop tightened around it. I began to climb up the rope.  
It was very hard because I did not have anything to place my feet against to help me climb. It was a matter of strength. The climb was a bit over twenty feet high. I had to jump to grab the rope.  
A few minutes later I made it to the top. I pulled myself over the railing and landed inside the balcony. I took off the rope, undid the loop, coiled it up, and put it in my pack. I walked to the doors, which were made of glass, and looked through them. The Prince was not in it. I walked to the left side of the balcony, the closest place to the window I was supposed to enter. I would have to jump.  
I put my hands on the railing, pushing my body up and placing my feet on the rail. I slowly stood up, taking off my gloves and placing them in my pack so my hands would not slip from the bars. I put my hands out toward the window, and jumped. If I fell I would break my leg. If I landed on my head I would instantly die.  
I snatched one of the bars with my left hand, grabbing the bar that went horizontally across the window with my right hand. I pulled myself up so I could stand on the small edge of the window. I looked down to see if anyone had seen me. Luckily, no one was around.  
I sighed and swung my feet in the bottom left square. There were curtains in the way. I pushed them aside with my left foot, putting more of my legs in. I had to shift my body aro to fit inside. With much hard work, I finally got through. 


	6. Part 6

Part 6  
  
Exodis, who was shaking my right arm harshly, awaked me.  
"Sierra! Wake up." Exodis said quietly.  
I opened my eyes slightly. It seemed like I had been in darkness for hours and had just looked into the bright sun for a long time. I glanced at my right arm, the arm that I got shot in. There was some blood, which had seeped through the cloth of my tunic, but it was dry. I looked to Exodis.  
"What is it? Are we in trouble?" I asked, placing my hands on the ground and pushing so I sat up. I remembered that it was Friday, and today was our deadline.  
"No. The town is in chaos. And it is also late," Exodis said.  
"Chaos? How do you know?" I replied, slipping out of my sleeping mat and running a hand through my quills.  
"I was there. The Queen has been eliminated by the way..." Exodis said non-chalantly.  
I blinked. "How did you do it?"  
"I will tell you..." Exodis said, beginning to tell his tale.  
  
It was still dark out. Assuming by the position of the moon, it was about three o'clock. That gave me enough time.  
I slipped on the armor and quickly headed to the castle. I told the guards I was starting my shift, and they let me in. I walked straight through town and to the castle. Told the guards at the entrance the same exact thing, and they let me in. I headed to the Queen's bedroom.  
A guard was in front of her door. I told him I was there to take over for him. He said his shift did not start for another hour. I said I came in early so I would get paid extra. He walked away.  
I stood there for a bit, acting as if I really was there to guard her room. A few minutes later, after checking no one was around, I silently opened the door and walked into her room. She was asleep.  
I tried as best as I could to walk across the floor silently, but my metal shoes clanked silently against the floor. Luckily, she did not wake up.  
I stopped next to her bed. She was sleeping on her back. I placed my left hand behind her head, lifting it up. The Queen opened her eyes slightly.  
"What?" Queen Sikarey said quietly.  
Before she could speak any more, I reared my right arm back, clenching my fist. The wrist guard also was connected to a metal "glove," which was extremely flexible. Sikarey's eyes moved to what I was doing. Her mouth opened, but I slammed my fist forward before she could scream. My knuckles hit her straight in the temple. There was a slight clanking noise as my fist met her head.  
Her body went limp instantly. I let her body fall back on the bed. I walked over to the door, opening it slowly. I briskly walked down the hall and to the exit. A group of guards were heading to the door. Obviously, their shift had ended. I quickly joined with them, at the back of the group. Some guards looked at me and murmured, "I've never seen him before...," and some other comments. I paid no attention to them.  
The guards at the exit let us out. The sun had risen. People were scurrying around town. I began to walk through the town. All of a sudden, a loud thud was heard. The doors had swung open from the castle, and a guard was standing there.  
"THE PRINCE HAS BEEN KILLED! AND SO HAS QUEEN SIKAREY!" The guard yelled loudly. The people began to murmur loudly, along with many gasps. "There is a killer amongst us!"  
The citizens of the town went insane. People ran around screaming. Children were crying. People were frantically trying to get out of the city, but the guards at the exit were saying no one leaves until they find the murderer.  
I walked to the exit and to the two guards.  
"I have been assigned to secure the perimeter," I told them.  
"No," one said. "No one leaves until we find the murderer."  
I sighed and walked back through town. People were scurrying around, some running to their homes. I waited until most of the citizens were in their homes, with guards just surrounding the area. I walked to the east side of the town to the wall that was surrounding the whole city.  
Making sure no one was around, I began to climb the wall. The wall was made from stone bricks, so there were places where I could slip my fingers in so I could get a grip on the wall. Once I was at the top, making sure no one was around, I jumped, landing on the other side. I made my way back to camp.  
  
"So that is how it went," I said. I walked to my pack, picking it up from off the stone ground and taking out an apple, taking a bite from it.  
Exodis nodded. He was beginning to take off his armor. "We will eliminate the Princess later on today. You know that the security will be high."  
"Yes, I know," I said, though it was muffled because I had some pieces of apple in my mouth. I continued once I had swallowed the bite. "How do you plan to eliminate Princess Mylarra?"  
"Whatever is possible. It will be tough, however. I will pretend to bring you in as a prisoner, but I will lead you to an empty corridor. From there, we will both go to the hallway that the Princess' door is in. We will go separate ways. Once the Princess goes in her room, I will make a distraction a few minutes later. I will get the guards away from the door, and you will sneak into the room. You will find a good way to kill her then," Exodis explained.  
I nodded.  
  
Later on that afternoon, Exodis and I headed out. He had his armor on, and I had Exodis' black cloak on, the hood over my head casting a shadow on my face, the cloak wrapped around my body. It was the same one I had worn back in Sharrakor.  
We headed to the entrance of Packor, Exodis holding my arms behind my back, gripping my wrists harshly. I was in front of him, walking. Once we got to the entrance, Exodis disguised his voice so it was deep and gruff.  
"I found this person in the forest," Exodis grunted. "He might be the murderer."  
Why does everything think all killers are male?  
The guards examined me. "Very well. Take him in the dungeon when you get in the palace." One of them said.  
The doors swung open. Exodis pushed me through the city, still holding my hands behind my back. The city was empty, not one citizen was outside. Guards were patrolling the area.  
Exodis led me to the palace, telling the guards the same story he told the ones at the entrance. They opened the door. Exodis pushed me inside. We walked up some stairs, stopping at the floor, which the Princess' room was on. We did not walk down the hallway that contained her door, however. We went down the one next to it.  
Once we were alone and in the middle of it, we sneaked into the shadows. Exodis let go of me. He turned around and went the way we came in. I continued walking forward, the opposite way Exodis was going. Once I got to the end of the hallway, I looked behind, just in time to see Exodis' figure turn to the right, heading to the next hallway.  
There were four ways to go; Straight, left, right, and of course, where I came from. We wanted to go in the hallway to our left, so I went left. I stayed in the shadows. I peeked in the hallway, seeing Exodis' shape on the opposite side of the wall.  
There were two guards by a door. They were facing the wall we were against. They did not move their eyes, simply stared out in front of them. I crept along the shadows, stopping when I was close to the door, but still, it was on the other side of the hallway.  
A few minutes later, Mylarra came from the opposite side of the room, walking down Exodis' side of the hallway. I saw his body crouch deeper into the shadows.  
"Please let me in," Mylarra said non-chalantly to the guards once she got to the door. "I am going to take a bath, please do not disturb me for the next hour... I must get ready for the funeral..."  
"Yes, my princess," the guards said. They stepped aside, a guard on each side of the door. The one on my left opened the door for Mylarra.  
I sighed, waiting impatiently for Exodis to create a distraction. A bit later he crawled to a podium-like decoration with a flowerpot placed atop it. He snatched the flowerpot and snuck back to where he was, taking a left when the wall stopped and going out of my sight. A few seconds later there was a loud crash, which I assumed was the flowerpot. The guards looked around and ran to where the noise was.  
I stayed a few seconds after they ran away to make sure they weren't coming back. Quickly, I stood up and trotted to Princess Mylarra's door. I placed my gloved hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it and opening it slowly, a quiet creaking noise emitting from the hinges. I stuck my head in to see if she was in that room. She was not. I looked to the restroom door. It was open slightly, and I could faintly hear water running.  
I crept in the door, shutting the door quietly behind me. I snuck into the room, approaching the restroom door quietly. I peeked inside. Mylarra was holding a towel around her body, and was bending over the golden bathtub, feeling the water with her right hand, the other holding her towel around her body.  
I silently opened the door. Luckily, the bathtub was on the opposite side of the door, and Mylarra's back was facing me. I crept inside, making no noise whatsoever.  
I stopped when I was a few inches from her back. She ceased from running her hand in the water, her ears perking up, probably hearing my breathing.  
Giving her no chance to run, my hand shot out, grabbing her from the back of her neck. I squeezed tightly so that she could not scream. I shoved her body in the water, putting my hand on her back, keeping her inside. She thrashed around, muffled yells coming from within the water.  
Water splashed out from the bathtub, getting my clothes all wet. A minute later, her body stopped moving. Her body went limp. I let go of her body, taking my hands out from the warm water. I took off my gloves and wrung them dry, quickly putting them back on. I picked up her body, unsheathing my dagger from its holster. I turned Mylarra over. Her face was a purple-bluish. I stabbed her in the shoulder to make sure she was not alive.  
She did not flinch.  
I dropped her body back in the water. Her wound began to bleed. The blood turned the water red. I cleaned off my dagger in the water before it was pure blood, putting it back in its holster. I quickly exited the room, walking to the window. I knew better than to go out the door. The two guards were probably back in their positions.  
I began to squeeze myself between the bars, my hood falling from off my face.  
My heart stopped when I heard the door open. 


	7. Part 7

Part 7  
  
My body was halfway through the door. I struggled to turn my head to see who it was.  
My heart stopped pounding. It was Exodis.  
He blinked. He had seen me trying to squeeze through the window. "You know those bars come off, right?"  
"No..."  
"Well, they do. We need to hurry. The guards should be back any second." Exodis said.  
He briskly walked to the window, beginning to take the bars off. He pulled on the top ones, the bars coming out from the small circles in the cement, which held the bars in place. He did the same with the rest of the bars. He asked me a question when he was in the process.  
"Did you kill Mylarra?" He grunted, pulling hard on one of the bars.  
"Yes," I said simply.  
Exodis finished pulling the bars out of the window. They were all connected together. He began to take off his armor, revealing his black tunic and cloak below. He told me it was hard to run in armor. And besides, we did not need it anymore.  
I jumped when I heard the voices, immediately unsheathing my dagger.  
"HEY! What are you doing in here?! This is not your post!" The guard shouted.  
"YOU LEFT THE DOOR OPEN?!" I shouted at Exodis.  
"It was a simple mistake..." He said, beginning to squeeze through the bars.  
"Ai! It is the murderer! Get back up!" The guard yelled to the one behind him. He unsheathed his long sword from its metal sheath.  
Exodis had gone out the window. So much for a companion.  
The guard ran at me. He swiped clumsily at me with his sword. I threw myself on the ground, kicking the sword out of his hand. Since my shoes were just cloth, it hurt to kick his metal gloves.  
The sword flew out of his hand and landed far away from him. I swiped my leg across the ground, causing him to fall onto his back. I jumped up, stabbing him in the face. I made a quick slit to his neck, and running to the window. I stuck my head out of it, looking from side to side for Exodis.  
"Sierra! Down here!" I heard him call. I looked down. He was on a balcony about ten feet below me. A dead guard lay on the floor near him. "Jump!"  
"There she is!" I heard someone call. "Shoot her!"  
I looked behind me. Tons of guards filled the room. There was no way that I could fight them all. Each one of them had a bow-and-arrow, along with their sword, which they had in their holsters.  
One guard shot an arrow at me. I quickly ducked. The arrow hit the wall just above the square cut out of it that was the window. I then jumped up, placing my feet on the bottom of the window. It was a few inches wide.  
More arrows shot at me. I looked down. "Watch out!" I called to Exodis. He moved out of the way. I jumped down, my cloak flapping below me. I landed on the stone ground, instantly crouching so it would not hurt my feet. I jumped up, running to the edge of the balcony. The last drop was about the same height.  
Exodis was behind me. The guards appeared in the window and began to shoot arrows at us. I put my hands on the railing, jumping up slightly and throwing my legs over the edge, falling to the ground, my dark green cloak flapping behind me. I landed on the ground, crouching again. Exodis landed beside me.  
Some guards appeared on the balconies and began to shoot at us.  
"SPLIT UP! SOME OF YOU STAY HERE! SOME OF YOU GO TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY! DO NOT LET THEM GET AWAY!" I heard the same guard yell that was in the room.  
Arrows began to fly at us. We quickly dashed across the field, heading for the bushes. Once we got near them, we dove into them, landing on our stomach. We crawled through the bushes, heading to the wall. Some arrows still made it through the trees and bushes, but none of them hit us. Once we got to the wall, we began to climb up it. Exodis told me how to climb the wall, since he had done it once before. Only it was harder, because many branches from the trees were in the way.  
Once we got to the top, we saw many guards rushing to where we were. We both jumped off it, landing on the ground below. We dashed to our forest. We would have to hide from them. The guards began to shoot at us. Arrows filled the sky.  
They landed all around us. I covered my head with my arms. We were approaching the forest, and fast. There were fewer arrows at we got closer.  
I was ahead of Exodis. I stopped hearing his footsteps. I stopped, looking behind me.  
"EXODIS!" I screamed. He was on his knees. The point of an arrow was sticking through his chest. I ran over to him.  
"Go... On..." He said. He was gasping for breath.  
"No! You are going to live!" I said.  
"No..." He said. "Go..."  
I picked my head up. The guards were running toward us. I walked behind him, putting my hands on the arrow and yanking it out. He let out a groan of pain.  
"I am not leaving you here!" I shouted.  
The guards were far away. The forest was close. I put my arms under his, wrapping them around his arms slightly. I turned around, quickly walking backwards to the city, dragging Exodis along. The color was draining from his face. Blood ran down his chest and stomach. The guards were coming up faster.  
I entered the trail that went through the forest. I walked to the edge on the left, stepping up on the edge that was about a foot tall. I heaved him up also. I began to walk backwards again. I had forgot that it was just a giant slope. I lost my footing, tumbling backwards behind the hill. Exodis rolled down the hill. He was not trying to stop.  
Exodis was dead.  
The slope stopped, and I tumbled over a tiny cliff at the edge, landing on the ground below on my back with a thump. I grunted. Exodis stopped on the ground many feet away from me. I got on my hands and knees and crawled over to him. I grabbed his shoulders and dragged his dead body behind a large tree. I crouched against it, making sure his body was not sticking out. I soon heard footsteps high above me on the trail, along with voices.  
"Where did they go?! I could have sworn they came in here!" I heard that familiar voice say. "Search the edges! But do not go down them! You will fall."  
I heard more guards walking around the top of the slope, but none of them came near. I stayed silent, trying to keep myself from breathing loudly. I was afraid they would hear my heart pounding.  
A few minutes later, another guard spoke up. "They are not along the east side of the trail."  
"Nor the west side," I heard another say.  
"Damn!" The guard said, whom I assumed was the general. "Get the tracking dogs and return! They cannot get far! The one in black is dragging the other's body!"  
I waited a while until I heard the footsteps and voices fade off into the distance. I then dragged Exodis' body along, heading to the cave we stayed in.  
  
Once I got there, I gathered up my stuff. I took off Exodis' hood I was wearing and put it in his pack. I rolled up our sleeping mats and other belongings, and put them in their respective packs. I did not take my armor, for I did not need it anymore. I took a hold of Exodis' arms and dragged him out of the cave, walking along the forest ground. 


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
About a mile further on, I heard hoof steps and some neighing. I stopped and looked around. It had to be a horse. Soon a beautiful black stallion trotted up to me. I recognized him as the horse whose owner I had killed. He was one of the guards' horses that Exodis and I had shot to get their armor.  
"My, are not you beautiful…" I breathed, petting his muzzle.  
The horse was still wearing the colors of Packor, along with some armor. I took them off.  
"Do you feel better now?" I asked the horse.  
The horse neighed. Since he did not have an owner and I did not want to drag Exodis' body, I heaved Exodis up on the horse's back, on the front of the saddle. I quickly jumped up on it, grabbing a hold of Exodis' body, which was sideways across my lap now. I took a hold of the reigns, which I had left on the horse, and clicked my tongue. I tapped the horse's left side and he turned to the left, beginning to trot the way I was heading before I had found him.  
At this rate, I would be in Sharrakor in no time.  
  
The horse's hooves clopped on the cobblestone ground of the main part of Sharrakor city. I dug through my brain, trying to remember the path Exodis had took to go to Luniare's office. I had my hood up, which cast a shadow over my face. I brought the sides of my cloak to cover Exodis' body. Exodis' black cloak that he always wore was covering his body also, so I did not look too suspicious.  
After walking through many alleyways, I found the hallway that eventually led to the two guards protecting Luniare's office. I led the horse down the hallway, which was a tight fit, for the horse was tall. I had to bend my head down. Not to mention that there was not much room on the sides of the horse.  
Once we got to the guards, I hopped down, gently taking Exodis' body down too.  
"State your name and business!" The guard on the right roared. He blinked when he saw me taking down the body.  
"My name is Sierra Katanna and this is… was… Exodis Cammella… We have completed our mission… Unfortunately, Exodis was killed when we were returning home…" I said.  
The guard eyed his body. "Wait here…" He entered the door behind him.  
"Would you mind watching my horse?" I asked the guard on the left, holding the reigns out to him.  
The guard took the reigns without a word.  
A few minutes later the guard returned. "Follow me."  
He went back through the door and I followed, dragging Exodis' body behind me. He walked down many hallways and went through many doors, as if to confuse me. Soon he stopped in front of a door. He opened it for me, seeing that I was having trouble with Exodis' body.  
When I entered, Luniare walked right up to me.  
"My God! What happened?!" He exclaimed. Luniare practically ran over and yanked Exodis from my hands.  
I explained how he died.  
Luniare looked extremely disappointed. "It is a shame..." He sighed. "He was my best assassin..." I heard him mumble something about 'being careful.' He then gazed at Exodis' body in his hands sadly. "Did you complete your mission?"  
"Yes. However Exodis did not die until we were going home. I do not deserve both rewards." I told him.  
Luniare was not listening. "Arctic!" He called. "Arctic! Get in here!"  
A second later another wolf that looked remarkably like Luniare burst in through a door on the right side of the room. He wore a black tunic like his father's, short-sleeved and long at the bottom so you could not see his trousers. He had white rope around his waist that served as a belt. Arctic wore a black sheath attached on it, with his brown handled dagger in it. He did not wear a cloak, nor did he have any symbol on him that said he was an assassin. Arctic was a gray wolf like his father with icy blue eyes. He wore neither gloves nor shoes. Arctic was also slightly muscular. I guessed he was about sixteen. I myself am twenty-three.  
"Yes, father?" Arctic asked, walking closer to him.  
Father? Luniare was a father?  
"Take this body away. Keep it safe. We need to burn it," Luniare told Arctic.  
"Yes, father," Arctic said.  
Arctic took Exodis' body, slinging him over his shoulder, and walking in the door behind me.  
"You did not tell me you had a son," I said to Luniare.  
"You never asked," Luniare said, grinning slightly. "He is training to take over the family business... Assassin owning and all... And he will be the prince of Packor... As soon as we conquer it."  
"Where is your wife?" I asked him.  
Luniare paused. "She is no longer with us."  
"Oh... I am sorry," I said apologetically.  
Luniare sighed and walked to a cabinet. He opened one of the doors and pulled out two bags, each labeled '40,000 GP'. He walked over and held them out to me.  
"I... I do not deserve both," I said.  
"Yes, you do. You were wise enough to bring back Exodis' body. They would have tracked us down," Luniare said, smiling slightly.  
"Thank you," I said. I took the bags and put them in my pack. "Oh..." I said, taking Exodis' pack from my shoulder. "These are some of his belongings..." I handed him Exodis' pack. Luniare took it.  
"I will send you a message when you are needed," Luniare said, walking to his table.  
I nodded and turned to go out the door.  
"Sierra..." Luniare said. I turned around. "I am expecting great things from you."  
  
Once the guard led me back to my horse, I jumped on him, and walked out of the hallway. I got out of it eventually and led him down the dark alley, heading for home.  
"I believe you need a name," I told the horse.  
He neighed slightly.  
"Hmm..." I said, thinking up a name that would fit him. "How about... Exodis?"  
The horse neighed loudly. "Yes, that is a good name... That way I will always remember my first partner..."  
Exodis and I headed to the forest, the orange sun setting behind us.  
  
Well, that is my story. At least, my first one. And it will not be my last. For I will always be Sierra Katanna, the female assassin.  
And soon, the best assassin in the land.  
  
The End 


End file.
